Interchangeable refill cartridge for ballpoint pens



H. w. sA'Ms Sept. 29, 1970 INTERCHANGEABLE REFILL CARTRIDE FOR BALLPOINT PENS Filed Jan. 29, 1969 FIG. 2

llllnl I INVENTOR HERBERT w. SAMS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,531,213 INTERCHANGEABLE REFILL CARTRIDGE FOR BALLPOINT PENS Herbert W. Sams, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to Scnpto, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Filed Jan. 29, 1969, Ser. No. 794,871 Int. Cl. B43k 7/02 US. Cl. 401-209 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The tip end of a ballpoint pen refill cartridge is provided with a removable sleeve which allows the cartridge to be used in a pen body having a large bore for receiving the tip or, when the sleeve is removed, the cartridge may be used in a pen body having a smaller bore.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The bodies of ballpoint pens include a writing end bore which receives and from which projects the writing tip end of the ink supply cartridge. For some time, this bore size has become more or less standardized and refill cartridges are constructed to this size, thus allowing more or less universal use thereof insofar as the various makes of pen bodies is concerned. For various reasons, it has become desirable recently to employ cartridges with larger tip sizes and to make pen bodies with correspondingly larger bores for receiving them. This presents the problem of providing two standard sizes or refill cartridges, one having the smaller tip size and the other having the larger tip size.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a Single refill cartridge is provided for interchangeable use with the two types of pen bodies specified hereinabove.

More particularly, the present invention contemplates the provision of a refill cartridge having a standard smaller size tip end portion provided with a removable sleeve enlarging the tip end portion selectively for use with the pen bodies of larger bore size. The body of the cartridge is provided at one end with a writing fluid metering device having one portion fixed within the cartridge body tube and having a projecting tip portion terminating in a conical end at whose apex the writing element is located. The sleeve surrounds the tip end portion and is provided with a bevelled end, there being an enlarged collar at the juncture between the tip and other body portion of the metering device and the sleeve being of a length to abut such collar with its bevelled end in registry with the conical end of the tip and forming essentially a continuation thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is an elevational view partly in section showing a refill cartridge according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showin the cartridge of FIG. 1 used with a pen body having the enlarged bore size; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the cartridge used with a pen body of smaller bore size.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1, the refill cartridge is indicated generally therein by the reference character and will be seen to include an elongate tubular body 12 having its lower end 3,531,213 Patented Sept. 29, 1970 closed by a writing fluid metering device indicated generally by the reference character 14. The writing fluid metering device includes an upper body section 16 snuggly received within the lower end of the tube 12 and communicating with the writing fluid chamber 18. The device 14 also includes a tip end portion 20 terminating in a conical end 22 at whose apex is located the ball point writing element 24. The device 14 is provided with an enlarged collar portion 26 at the juncture between the portions 16 and 20 and a removable sleeve 28 is provided in snug but removable relationship to the tip end portion 20, substantially as is shown. The sleeve 28 which may be of plastic is of a length to abut the collar 26 and to position its bevelled end 30 such that the bevelled end merges smoothly with the surface of the conical end 22 of the tip portion 20 and serves in effect to provide a continuation thereof, substantially as is shown.

The pen body indicated generally by the reference character 32 in FIG. 2 is characterized by the provision of an enlarged bore 34 with respect to the bore 36 of the pen body 38 of FIG. 3. In the case of FIG. 2, the refill cartridge is utilized without modification with the pen body shown. However, if the pen body is of the type shown in FIG. 3, having the smaller bore 36, the sleeve 28 is simply removed and the cartridge applied in the fashion shown.

The present invention, therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as others inherent therein. While the presently illustrative embodiment of the invention is given for the purpose of disclosure, numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A refill cartridge for ball point pens comprising, in combination,

an elongate tubular body adapted to receive a supply of writing fluid,

a Writing fluid metering device having an inner body portion received in one end of said tubular body to afiixed such parts together, and having a projecting tip portion carrying a ball point writing element, and a sleeve removably received on said tip portion adapting the cartridge for use with pen bodies having different tip-receiving bores.

2. A refill cartridge for ball point pens as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by an enlarged collar at the juncture between said inner body and tip portions.

3. A refill cartridge for ball point pens as defined in claim 2 and further characterized in that said sleeve has a bevelled end and is of a length to seat against said collar and register said bevelled end so that it eifects a continuation of said conical end of the fluid metering device.

4. A refill cartridge for a ball point pen as defined in claim 3 and further characterized in that said sleeve is of a plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,778,336 1/ 7 Liquori 40 l--209 2,829,623 4/1958 Barnes 40l210 2,914,027 11/1959 Sears 40l-2l0 3,039,437 6/1962 Walker 401-210 LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner 

